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OAS HEARS REPORTS ON ELECTORAL PREPARATIONS IN GUYANA

The Assistant Secretary General of the Organization of American States (OAS), Ambassador Albert R. Ramdin, today commended the electoral authorities of Guyana for advancing preparations for the upcoming general and regional elections, and reiterated the commitment of the OAS to accompany “this critical democratic exercise in their country.”

Ramdin made his remarks to the Permanent Council following a briefing by the Permanent Representative of Guyana to the OAS, Ambassador Bayney Karran, on preparations underway for the elections, scheduled to take place on August 28. Karran informed the diplomatic body that ten parties had nominated candidates and that the main parties had officially launched their campaigns last weekend.

“Virtually all political rallies so far have been conducted in a peaceful and orderly manner,” said Karran, who was updating the Permanent Council on developments since Guyana’s Minister of Foreign Affairs, Samuel Rudolph Insanally, visited the OAS three weeks ago. Noting that communities in Guyana are generally “calm but apprehensive,” based on violence surrounding past elections, Ambassador Karran said his government will do everything it can to continue to improve the security situation, in order to ensure that the elections can take place in a peaceful, orderly climate.

“These elections are widely seen as a crucial phase in the consolidation of democracy in Guyana,” he said. “The role of observer missions in the process is vital,” added Karran, who thanked the governments that had contributed to the OAS Electoral Observation Mission and asked the member states for further support.

For his part, the OAS Assistant Secretary General talked about preparations underway for the final phase of the observation process. A two-member advance team has been on the ground since May, assessing electoral preparations, the development of the political campaign and the overall security situation. Ramdin, who this year has made three trips to Guyana to follow the process, said this long-term observer team has also accompanied such aspects as the claims and objections period for the list of electors, the preparation of the revised and official voter list, and the distribution of national identification cards. Preparations for the elections “have been proceeding apace,” he said.

Ambassador Ramdin said the OAS will send additional experts to Guyana by mid-August and will field some 60 election observers throughout the country for a week, before and immediately following polling day. He thanked the governments of Brazil, Canada, Chile and the United States for helping to fund the observation mission, noting that Mexico and Japan have also pledged support. During the meeting, chaired by Ambassador Henry Illes of Suriname, representatives of several OAS member states voiced their strong support for Guyana as it seeks to ensure free, fair and peaceful elections.

On another issue, several ambassadors welcomed the news of the release last week of former Haitian Prime Minister Yvon Neptune, after two years in prison. They commended the government of Haiti and noted that Neptune’s release is a positive, hopeful step on the path toward a more stable democracy.

Reference: E-166/06